Holy Mother of God, This Is What Won the 2010 Jell-O Mold Competition.

Artist Shelly Sabel was this year's Grand Prize winner in the Gowanus Studio Space's Jell-O Mold competition with her inventive "Aspic Ascension - Tastes Like Heaven", a Bloody Mary tomato aspic formed in the shape of the Virgin Mary.

Watch her wiggle (shown in clear gelatin):


The entry was presented like an altar, complete with burning candles and a 'glitzy' rosary:



The poster for the 2010 GSS Jell-O Mold competition and Grand Prize winner Shelly Sabel:

video, images and info courtesy of artist Shelly Sabel and Gowanus Studio

There's always more room for Jell-O!
So be sure to see the other post today on Jelloware, the edible drinking cups that are good for the planet!


and don't miss Liz Hickock's Jell-O cast city!

The Virgin Mary In Everything From Tech To Fashion.

The Virgin Mary as you've never seen her before.
In honor of Christmas, here's a round up of products inspired by the Mother of all Mothers.... Mary. Some modern and yes, blasphemous, Virgin Mary inspired designs and products. This post is not meant to offend, but to inform.

Of course, the Virgin Mary has been around in art for centuries and yes, there are many serious products that feature the Virgin Mary (aka Madonna, Mother Mary or Maria) as everything from clocks to night lights. But those you can find at your nearby church or online religious supply stores like catholic shopper.

But for this post, I'm featuring contemporary versions of the saintly icon in everything from usb storage drives to urinals. Now, there are thousands of contemporary artists who've used the religious icon in their pieces and I can't show you all of them, so I've chosen a few of the more unusual ones to share with you.


Virgin Mary tech:
The Maria USB data storage stick reads "Oh Mary keep my data safe" on her halo and her heart 'beats" as it's working.


Designed by Luis Eslava, it supports the following system software: Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OSX and makes a great stocking stuffer! Buy it here

Thanks to a reader who chose to remain anonymous, I have this wonderful last minute addition to the list. A Virgin Mary vibrator for your own personal theophany. Made of silicone, she's available in several colors including a glow-in-the-dark-version (Is that in case you can't find yourself?):

buy this and see more hilarious religious erotica here.


Virgin Mary modern art:
French artist Soasig Chamalliard's "Apparitions" series took Virgin Mary statuettes and decorated them with pop culture and artistic decor:

See all of his Madonna statuettes here.

Scott Campbell's cut up money caused controversy by both defacing US currency as well as using religious icons:

See much more of his work here.

Jason Clay Lewis' DCon Mary made of decoupaged rat poison boxes:


Part of his "Drop Dead Gorgeous" show, you can see more here.

Virgin Mary Housewares

Salt or pepper grinder:

buy it here.

Holy Toast:

buy it here

Throw Pillow:
As part of their Church series, DFCasa has created this Virgin Mary Throw pillow:

buy it here.

Virgin Mary blanket:

buy it here.

Virgin Mary fashion:
If you never saw Jean Paul Gaultier's stunning 2007 Haute Couture collection inspired by the Virgin Mary, you've missed out on some of the most beautiful gowns and headpieces ever:




See the collection here.

Another designer inspired by the Virgencita is Chilean fashion designer Ricardo Oyarzún's controversial collection of very sexy Virgin Mary inspired couture:

Bearing some seriously sacrilegious cleavage, his fashion show in Chile earlier this year caused much controversy.

see the collection and read about the controversy here.

Virgin Mary Keds:
yes, there are tons of artists who sell their Virgin Mary t-shirts, hats, stickers and more on sites like Zazzle and Cafe Press. But these Keds really caught my eye:


buy them here

Virgin Mary/penis soap:
One of the many fun and unusual products By Donkey is this soap which appears as Mary on one side and the male member on the other:

see more fun Donkey products here.

Can't show a soap without showing a candle. Soy Virgin Mary candle:

buy it here.

Other unorthodox sightings include this Playboy Cover from December 2008:




And giving the vibrator a run for its money as the most blasphemous, are the Virgin Mary urinals in China, which basically encourage men to piss on religion:

See more of the unusual urinals from China's largest public bathroom here.

So, as you can clearly see, from haute couture to erotica, housewares to tech, the Virgin Mother continues to make appearances (pun intended).

Holy Art Project, Batman! Saint Madonna Statues Reinterpreted by Soasig Chamalliard

Here's a wonderfully fun art project by french artist, Soasig Chamalliard called "Apparitions" by Soasig Chamaillard in which she takes existing figurines of the Virgin Mary and re-imagines them.

Talk About Pissing on Religion: China Unveils World's Largest Bathroom

above: Virgin Mary Themed Urinals

Anyone who has traveled to the Middle Kingdom would agree that the country's public restroom facilities leave a lot to be desired. Well, in Chongqing, a city of 31 million people in south-central China, they've had enough. Not content with the rudimentary squat units found everywhere in China, the city has pursued some innovative ideas that are meant to make the experience not just easier, but a little more fun.